Installing Ubuntu on a ThinkPad R60e
Overview
There are no particular problems installing Ubuntu Dapper (6.06.1) or Edgy Knot2 (6.10 alpha) on a R60e.
If the Windows and Service Partitions are to be retained then the Gnome Partition Editor can be used from the live cd to shrink the Windows partition (sda1). The IBM recovery partition is placed at the end of the HD disk. Note that the Recovery partion is not located on a cylinder boundary and is placed between 'unused' disk areas, 3MB in front and 7MB behind. These appear to contain the diagnostics programs and should not be moved or resized if the diagnostics and R&R programs are required.
To repartion: boot to Windows and immediately create a Rescue and Recover disk set.
If you have a USB HD you can also create a Recue and Recovery copy on that.
boot with Ubuntu live CD, use Gnome Partition editor to shrink the IBM_PRELOAD (sda1) partition.
reboot to Windows and let it run chkdsk
boot Ubuntu Live CD and install
Xorg.config for two screens
Intel 945GM The config options are described in the driver man page [$ man i810]. The following sections are for a configuration with the laptop screen as the primary display and an second display on the D-SUB15 analog VGA port. The second display is expected to be a flat panel or a data projector ('beamer').
Section "Device" Identifier "Intel 945GM Internal LCD" Driver "i810" BusID "PCI:0:2:0" Screen 0 Option "MonitorLayout" "CRT,LFP" EndSection
Section "Device" Identifier "Intel 945GM External D-SUB15" Driver "i810" BusID "PCI:0:2:0" Screen 1
# some additional possibilities # Option "CheckLid" "no" # Option "Clone" "no" # Option "CloneRefresh" "60" # Option "FlipPrimary" "no" # Option "DisplayInfo" "yes" # Option "Rotate" "CCW" EndSection
Resolution and timing
X and the graphics adaptor will detect an external screen if present and attempt to auto negotiate an appropriate resolution and refresh rate. It is unclear from the Xorg/XFree documentation how the useable video modes are selected/rejected but it appears that if a monitor is connected to the VGA connector the highest available VESA resolution will not be selected unless it has a refresh rate of 75Hz or more. As the optimum refresh rate for a flat panel display is usualy 60Hz, and often the highest (native) resolution only available at this rate, it may be necessary to set a mode line for best performance.
In the case of a data projector, these appear designed to accept inputs for resolutions and refresh rates far in excess of their native SVGA or XGA capabilities and automaticaly convert down, which may entail a loss of image quality. Thus, for these also, forcing a reasonable resolution and refresh rate is desirable.
The possible modes for a connected monitor can be discovered by looking at the X log file [sudo nano -w /etc/X11/xorg.conf] or by running xvidtune.
Section "Modes"
Identifier "V75"
ModeLine "VGA 75" 31.50 640 656 720 840 480 481 484 500
ModeLine "SVGA 75" 49.50 800 816 896 1056 600 601 604 625
ModeLine "XGA 75" 78.80 1024 1040 1136 1312 768 769 772 800
Modeline "SXGA 75" 135.00 1280 1296 1440 1688 1024 1025 1028 1066
EndSection
Section "Modes"
Identifier "V60"
Modeline "XGA 60" 65.00 1024 1048 1184 1344 768 771 777 806
ModeLine "SXGA 60" 108.00 1280 1328 1440 1688 1024 1025 1028 1066
ModeLine "UXGA 60" 160.00 1600 1664 1856 2160 1200 1201 1204 1250
EndSection
The monitor Most recent monitors will supply X with data on available built in modes, and this will overide the HorizSync and VertRefresh values in the config file. However some projectors do not supply this information and fail to display unless the HorizSync and VertRefresh are configured.
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "LCD on D-SUB15"
Option "DPMS"
HorizSync 31-75
VertRefresh 60-75
UseModes "V60"
UseModes "V75"
EndSection
Screen
Section "Screen" Identifier "External Screen" Device "Intel 945GM External D-SUB15" Monitor "LCD on D-SUB15" DefaultDepth 24 SubSection "Display" Depth 24 # Modes "1024x768" "1280x1024" "1600x1200" "640x480" "600x800" Modes "XGA 60" "SXGA 60" "UXGA 60" "VGA 75" "SVGA 75" EndSubSection EndSection
Section "Screen" Identifier "Laptop LCD" Device "Intel 945GM Internal LCD" Monitor "Lenovo 15in LCD" DefaultDepth 24 SubSection "Display" Depth 24 Modes "1024x768" # Virtual 1600 1200 # ViewPort 0 0 EndSubSection EndSection
ServerLayout
Section "ServerLayout" Identifier "Default Layout" Screen 0 "Laptop LCD" Absolute 0 0 Screen 1 "External Screen" RightOf "Laptop LCD" # Screen 1 "External Screen" Absolute 1024 0 InputDevice "Generic Keyboard" InputDevice "Configured Mouse" InputDevice "stylus" "SendCoreEvents" InputDevice "cursor" "SendCoreEvents" InputDevice "eraser" "SendCoreEvents" InputDevice "Synaptics Touchpad" EndSection
Note that with this layout the mouse will move off the right hand edge of the laptop screen and make an entrance on the left of the external monitor. If you can't find the mouse it may be on the other screen, try moving it top left.
Sound
There is an option in the BIOS setup to disable the modem which seems a good idea if the modem is not needed. Do not do this, if the modem is disabled then sound will not work with Ubuntu (6.06 and Edgy knot2). (Sound does however work in WinXP with the modem disabled)
Mouse and TrackPoint
see [How to configure the TrackPoint] Note however that to modify sensitivity and scroll rate on R60e with Ubuntu 6.06 the commands are:
# echo -n 96 > /sys/devices/platform/i8042/serio0/speed
# echo -n 200 > /sys/devices/platform/i8042/serio0/sensitivity
This needs to be typed in a root window; using sudo gives a permission denied.
to be continued
Wireless [works]
Bluetooth [setup appears ok, untested due to lack of bluetooth device]
Suspend to Disk [seems to be working, some scrambling of text console display during restart but login window then appears, and all restored ok.]
Suspend to RAM [fn+F4 (sleep) appears to be same as fn+F2 (lock screen)] Switch wireless on/off [Fn+F5 working]
